Purple Heart
by Persephone Muse
Summary: A tribute to one of Criminal Minds BAU member, 15 years later. A dedication to all Veterans who served for their country. Celebrating Veterans Day.


**This is dedicated to all the military Veterans of the WORLD, who have served your Country.**

**Celebrating Veterans Day, November 11, 2013. Thank you.**

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**A/N –This is set 15 years forward. I do not own any characters from the TV series, Criminal Minds.**

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**Purple Heart.**

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They all gathered in the Park; it was cold in November here in Virginia. In fact an inch of snow had fallen the night before. Now the Park looked pristinely white and pure.

Earlier, the former BAU team members met at the funeral home and paid their last respect to him.

"We're going to miss him." JJ said.

"I miss him already." Penelope sniffed as she leaned her head on Derek's massive chest, his arm wrapped comfortingly around her.

"He led a good life though, let's think of it." Derek said.

They nodded.

"He left peacefully and with dignity." Reid uttered, his hands in his pants pockets.

"Shall we?" Will LaMontagne pointed to the door but it opened before they moved.

Three people; a man and two women walked in.

"It's the Galens." Garcia recognized them; it was their parents' deaths over 35 years ago from Indianapolis.

"I remember them, wow, they've grown." JJ said.

The three siblings walked to them and greeted them solemnly.

"Hi, we heard about Agent Rossi." Connie the oldest greeted them.

"You're Connie Galen," Garcia pointed.

She smiled and shrugged shyly, "It's Connie Hughes now. This is my brother, George and sister, Alicia Galen-Collins."

They shook hands among themselves.

"How have you been?" JJ asked them.

"Oh," Connie smiled, "We moved out of the area, made new lives and now we're doing much better, thanks to Agent Rossi." Her voice broke at the last.

Her brother George took over, "Sis is torn when she heard the news and insisted we come. She didn't have to do that, we'd have done it anyways."

Alicia nodded, "We'll forever be grateful to him for taking care of us for so long."

"Dave is like that." Garcia nodded. "He's always concerned about others."

They all nodded.

"Well, we better go, it's nice to meet all of you again." Connie nodded at them and they stepped away.

They watched the trio moved towards the shiny mahogany coffin and began talking to some of the people standing by the box.

The door opened again, a middle aged woman and a young man walked in and looking around they began to move to the coffin as well but Morgan stepped in front of them.

"Ma'am…wait, you're…?"

"Lizzie Sparks, and this is Sammy, my nephew."

Derek turned to the young man, "How do you do Sammy, you probably don't remember me…"

He nodded, "Mor…gan."

Derek smiled, "Ah, I see you have an excellent memory."

Reid came up to stand beside him, "Hello Sammy, how are you?"

"Re…id." He tried to pronounce his name hesitantly, his figures were moving as if he was playing a piano.

Reid noticed his fingers and nodded, "I see you're still playing the piano?"

He nodded.

"Yes, Agent Reid." His aunt smiled. She looked over to the coffin, "We heard and Sammy, he said he wanted to come up. So we flew from Baton Rouge."

"Thank you for coming, he'd really appreciate it." Derek said.

They nodded, "Excuse us, we'll go over there and pay our respect." She looked at her nephew and they walked to the dais.

Soon after, more people came in.

The team recognized them as the ones they had successfully helped in solving their loved ones murder cases and brought closure to them.

He had touched their hearts and in return, they came back to see him one last time.

Now, outside the church, at the cemetery, they gathered to bury him. The plot had been reserved for many years since his first wife and son were buried there.

He was to be buried with his family.

He was home.

One by one, they laid a single red rose on top of his coffin until the entire top was filled.

The coffin was lowered and dirt began to fill by the diggers.

Morgan removed a medal and quickly placed on the coffin.

"Where did you get it?" Garcia asked him.

"His lawyer gave it to me." He touched the medal on the coffin. "I didn't know he had one."

"Me neither." Reid said.

"He once told me," JJ began as they turned to her and listened. "When he was doing his last tour in Vietnam, he took a bullet for a private who had tipped over his boots…his laces were loosened and a Viet-Cong enemy came out of the ditch, his rifle trained on the private. Rossi shot at the enemy and began to drag the young marine private out of harm's way when he was shot by another VC. Luckily, his troops had joined him and took care of the enemies and took them back to camp.

"He spent a month in the hospital, recovering from a shoulder wound. Received that Purple Heart from Army General Westmoreland himself." She pointed at the medal.

"Wow," Garcia uttered. "I didn't know that. Thank you." She put her finger on her lips and then placed it on the medal. "Thank you for your Service and to our Country."

"Did you know today is also Veterans Day?" Reid said.

"Don't leave yet, guys!"

They turned around and saw Hotch and Emily, and Jack walking up the small hill top.

Then they saw more movements as a man joined them.

"My name is John McNeil. I was the private Sgt Dave Rossi saved back in 1971." He stood before them in his Marine uniform.

"It would be my honor to serve him one last time." He turned around and stepped to the edge of the coffin.

"Attention!" He called out. "Forward, march!"

They realized there was a squad of United States Marine Corps marching towards the hill and stopped.

One of the Marine Sergeants walked out and holding his bugle and began playing 'Taps'.

There was not a dried eye in the crowd.

When he was done, he marched away and the squad marched a few paces from the mound and stopped.

Then seven came out, holding rifles as they did silent counts and raising their rifles up in the air, fired three times.

Each fire, the women jumped, startled by the loud noise.

"21 gun salute…" Reid uttered admirably as he and the others watched the Marine Squad marched away.

Sgt McNeil came forward to Aaron, "Thank you, Chief Hotchner. It was my honor to be here pay my last respect to the man who saved my life." He shook his hands and then turned around and marched off.

Hotch watched him disappeared around the corner of the cemetery before he turned to face his old team; the other people had already began to disperse.

"This is a wonderful ceremony, Hotch." JJ said.

"Yes," Morgan said as he slipped his sunglasses back on his face.

"There's a reception back at Quantico reception Hall." Garcia informed them.

"Let's go, guys." Reid nodded and walked away but he suddenly stopped and turned back to the hole, "Good bye, Dave. We'll miss you."

The others did likewise, "Goodbye, Dave. Godspeed." Derek said and moved away.

"Be at peace, Dave. I love you." Penelope said as she followed Derek down the hill and to their car.

"I'll miss you, old man." JJ said.

"Rest in peace. You earned it." Will said and taking his wife's hand and they walked away.

"Good bye, godfather. Thank you for my gift." Jack Hotchner said as he turned to his dad, "I'll see you at the car, dad."

Hotch nodded at his son as he headed off to his brand new car.

Remaining at the site, he and Emily stood side by side. They were quiet for a while.

"Will he see them?" She asked him.

Hotch turned slightly to Emily and then he looked at the two headstones, "Yes, he will. He's been waiting for a long time for this."

"Are they almost done with the new headstones?"

He nodded, "It'll be ready by the end of this week."

She nodded.

They had, per his request before his death, ordered a new larger headstone to fit all three names and dates;

ROSSI

Dave, 1947 – 2028

Carolyn, 1955 – 2011

James David, 1979 - 1979

That was all he wanted the headstone stated.

"Ready to go?" He looked at her.

"Yeah, I am." She wiped one last tear from her cheek, "Rest well, Dave Rossi. You earned your rest. Andate a stare con la tua famiglia…go be with your family."

She turned to follow Hotch out of the mound.

…..

THE END


End file.
